Forages and Grazing

Silage may be an option for portions of this year's sunflower crop stressed by drought conditions in parts of North Dakota and surrounding states, according to Greg Lardy, North Dakota State University Extension Service beef cattle specialist.

Across North Dakota, many acres of corn have been severely stressed by lack of rain and excessive heat. Harvesting for silage rather than grain may be a better option for drought-stressed corn. However, many corn producers do not run cattle, so they must find a buyer for the standing corn. It is difficult to place a value on a crop, such as silage, that typically is not a cash commodity. Further complicating the pricing decision is that the buyer and seller may want to determine a value per acre prior to harvest when the yield is still in question.

The DMC was developed to help ranchers and other rangeland managers assess the impacts of drought on forage production, enabling them to make better informed decisions as to alternative drought strategies.